Machine for lasting boots or shoes.



No. 718,873. PATENTED my. 20; 1903-. R. w. PEER. MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS OR SHOES.

ABPLIOATION FILED MAR. 28, 1902. 10 MODEL. 4 BHEET 5-SHEET 1.

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No. 718,873. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.,

R. W. PEER. MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS 0R SHOES APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1902 N0 MODEL 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

u lllllllll No. 718,873. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

- R. W. PEER.

MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS 0R SHOES. APPLIIOATION FILED MAR. 2a, 1902. no MODEL. 4 sums-sum a.

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R. W. PEER. MACHINE FOR LASTING BOOTS 0R SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1902.

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RICHARD W. PEER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO AUGUST FINCK, JR, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

MACHENE FOR LASTlNG BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,873, dated January 20, 1903.

application fi ed March 28, 1902. Serial No. 100,422. (No model.)

To all wltont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD W. PEER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Lasting Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for last- !a ing boots and shoes, and especially for lasting uppers prepared for lasting by securing a wire to the upper by means of zigzag stitches, the upper so prepared forming the subjectmatter of a separate application for Letters :5 Patent of the United States, filed by me March 1, 1902, Serial No. 96,216.

My improved uppers are prepared for lasting by attaching a draw-wire to one face of the upper near the edge thereof by two threads, one of said threads located upon the same face of the upper as said draw-wire and passing diagonally across said draw-wire a1- ternately from one side to the other thereof and interlocking with a second or shuttle thread located upon the opposite face of the upper, said second thread also passing diagonally across said draw-wire from one side to the other thereof, but upon the opposite side of the upper to that upon which said draw- 0 wire islocated. The upper prepared for lasting as hereinbefore set forth is placed upon a last and secured, preferably, by a single tack to said last. The two free ends of the wire are then drawn lengthwise of the last 5 and finally twisted one around the other, or

the twisting of the wire may take place simultaneously with the drawing of said wire lengthwise ot the last. The Wire being thus drawn lengthwise of the last draws the upper over the edge of the last, plaiting the same around the toe or heel, as the case may be, and holding the upper firmly in position after the ends of the wire have been twisted,

as set forth. In the case of very heavy 5 leather it is sometimes desirable to assist the wire in drawing the upper over a last by means of pull over pincers for the too or heel, or both.

My invention consists in a machine for lasting boots and shoes with uppers having a wire attached thereto of a wire-holder and power-driven mechanism to rotate said wireholder for the purpose of twisting the free ends of said wire around each other.

The invention again consists in a rotary wire-holder, driving mechanism, and means to operatively connect said driving mechanism to rotate said holder.

The invention still further consists in a wire-holder, power-driven mechanism to ro- 6o tate said wire-holder about an axis extending lengthwise of the last, and means to move said wire-holder and mechanism by which said wire-holder is rotated lengthwise of said last. 6

The invention again consists in a wireholder, means to rotate said wire-holder about an axis extending lengthwise of the last, and a rotatory support for the last.

The invention consists also in certain im proved means for holding and guiding the pull-over pincers by means of which the upper is drawn over the toe portion of the last.

The invention finally consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings,Figure l is a front elevation of my improved machine for lasting boots and shoes. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, taken from the right hand of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of two lasts, the rotatory last-supports upon which said lasts are supported, and the rotatory carrierframe to which said last-supports are attached, the column of the machine being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a detail section of one of the rotatory last-supports and the rotatory carrier-frame, together With the table upon which said rotatory carrier-frame is supported, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig.

5 is a side elevation of the rotatory wireholder and aportion of its driving-shaft. Fig.

6 is a side elevation of a portion of the wire-- holder. Fig. 7 is an end view of the wire- 5 holder and locking-sleeve attached thereto. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 with the 1ocking-sleeve turned downwardly to lock the wires in the holder. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 8 8, Fig.8. Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of the wire-holder driving-shaft and a portion 'of the mechanism by which said shaft is rotated, taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a plan view of a shoe-upper and inner sole placed upon a last and the toe portion lasted in accordance with my invention, the heel portion of the upper and last being broken away to save space in the drawings, a portion of the wire-holder being shown in perspective with the free ends of the wire extending around the toe portion connected thereto. Fig. 11 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the slide mechanism upon which the pull-over pincers are supported. Fig. 12 is a detail section taken on line 12 12 of Fig. 11.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 15 isa base-plate; 16, a column extending upwardly therefrom, the upper portion of said column being curved forwardly and terminating, in a horizontal flange 17, upon which is supported a frame 18, having a driving-shaft 19 journaled therein and provided with tight and loose pulleys 20 21.

The last 22, after having had the upper 23 placed thereon, said upper being held in position on the last by a tack at the heel portion thereof, is placed upon a heel-post 24, adjustably fastened to a standard 25 upon a rotatory last-support 26 by a hand-screw 27. The toe-portion of the last is supported upon a toe-post 28, adjustably supported in a standard 29, integral with a bracket 30, said toepost being fastened to said standard by a hand-screw 31, and said bracket being adjustably fastened to the rotatory last-support plate 26 by a clamp-screw 32. The last-support plates 26 26 are each supported at one of the outer corners of a segmental-shaped rotatory carrier-frame 33, attached by a cap 34 to the column 16 in such a manner as to be free to rotate upon said column. The carrier-frame 33 rests upon a supporting-table 35, which is clamped to the column 16 by a cap 36. The last-support plates 26 are rota- -tably attached to the carrier-frame 33 by a stud 37 and are provided with ball-bearings 38, located between said plates and the carrier-frame 33, in order that said last-supporting plates may be easily rotated. In order to lock the last-support plates 26 to the rotatory carrier-frame 33, a pin 39 is provided,

the-lower end of which enters a depression 40 in the upper surface of the carrier-frame. Thepin 39 is forced downwardly into the depression 40 bya spiral spring 41. When the last-support is given a half-rotation, as hereinafter described, the pin 39 springs into another depression 42 in the upper face of the carrier-frame 33 and locks said last-supporting plate at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The rotatory carrier-frame 33 is turned through an arc of ninety degrees forward and back, bringing the last 22 and last-support 26 from the position shown in full lines, Fig. 3, to the position shown in dotted lines therein and back again, the carrier-frame 33 being locked in position at each end of its rocking movement by a pin 43, which is forced into a depression 44 in the under side of the carrier-frame 33 by a spiral spring 45. The toe of the upper and last are supported upon a toe-rest 46, fast to the upper end of the toe-post 28.- In order to hold the last and upper firmly upon the toe-rest 46, a clamp 47 is provided, which is raised and lowered by the eccentric lifting-handle 48, arranged to slide in bearings 49, formed in the upper end of a curved arm 50, which extends from the toe-post 28 to a point above the toe of the last.

In heavy uppers it is preferable to assist the lasting of the shoe by pull-over pincers 51, pivoted at 52 to a slide-plate 53, arranged to slide upon the curved arm 50, and being locked in position thereon by a pawl 55, which engages a rack 56 upon one edge of the curved arm 50. The slide-plate 53 is provided with friction-rolls 57,which bear against opposite edges of the curved arm and prevent said slide-plate 53 from binding upon said arm. The curved form of the arm 50 is for the purpose of guiding the pincers as they draw the upper over the edge of the last in the proper path to draw said upper first upwardly and then backwardly toward the heel of the last in proper position to be drawn over the last close to the upper surface thereofby the tightening of the wire extending around said toe portion, as hereinafter described.

The shoe having been placed upon the heelpost and toe-post, as hereinbefore described, and the upper drawn over the toe of the last by means of the pincers 51, the shoe is ready to be lasted by the wire 58, Fig. 10, extending around the toe portion thereof attached to the upper 23 by diagonal stitches 59 upon the outer surface of the upper and further by diagonal stitches upon the opposite face of the upper to that to which the wire is attached, said stitches not being shown in' the drawings. The wire 58 extends around the fore part and a portion of the shank of the upper, and the free ends 60 thereof extend through eyelets 61, fast to the upper 23. A second wire 62 extends around the heel portion of the upper and is attached thereto by diagonal. stitches 63, the free ends 64 of said wire 62 extending through the eyelets 61, as shown in Fig. 10. After the upper has been drawn over the toe of the last by means of the pincers the free ends 60 of the wire 58 are drawn toward the right, Figs. 1 and 10, and finally twisted together by means of the wireholder 65. Said wireholder consists of a rotatory cylindrical pin 66, having a slot 67 extending laterally thereacross and inward slightly beyond the center thereof, where it is intersected by another slot 168, extending lengthwise of said cylindrical pin. The forward end of the pin 66 is conical in shape and is shouldered to receive a locking-sleeve 68, having a slot 69 extending lengthwise thereof. The pin 66 is connected by a universal joint 70 to a rotary shaft 71, journaled in a bearing 72 upon the lower end of arockerframe 73, fast to a shaft 74 upon the frame 18. The shaft 71 is prevented from moving lengthwise in the bearing 72 by a collar 75, fast to said shaft at one end of said bearing, and by a friction-disk 76, integral with said shaft at the opposite end of said bearing. Rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 71 for the purpose of twisting the free ends of the wire 58 around each other by a frictionclutch 77, splined to a shaft 78, journaled to rotate in bearings 79 79 upon the rockerframe 73. The clutch 77 consists of a cylindrical friction-disk and is moved lengthwise of the shaft 78 by a clutch-lever 80, pivoted at 81 to the rocker-frame 73. The clutch-lever 80 is operatively connected. to the friction-clutch 77 by studs 82,which engage split rings 83, located in an annular groove 84, formed in the periphery of said frictionclutch. The shaft 78 is rotated by a pulley 85, fast thereto and connected by a belt 86 to a pulley 87, fast to the shaft 19 and guided by guide-pulleys 88, loose upon the shaft 74. The clutch 77 is kept normally out of contact with the friction-disk 76 by a spiral tensionspring 89, fast at one end to the clutch-lever 80 and at the other end to a bent rod 90, fast to the rocker-frame 73. The rocker-frame 73 is fast to the shaft 74 and is rocked, together with said shaft, by a treadle 91, pivoted at 92 to a bracket 93, fast to the base 15. Said treadle is connected by a rod 94 and link 95 to an arm 96, fast to the shaft 74:. The treadle is held normally against a stop 97 by a spiral spring 98.

Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with the upper drawn up over the last at the toe portion by the pincers, the operator takes the two free ends 60 of the wire 58 and passes them through the slot 69 in the locking-sleeve 68 into the slot 168 in the cylindrical pin 66, turning the ends over in the lateral slot 67 and drawing them down in the portion 99 of said slot, as shown in Figs. 8 and 10. Having thus secured the free ends of the wire 58 in the slot 168, the locking-sleeve 68 is turned from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 8, thus securely locking the ends of the wire 58 to the rotary holder 65. The operator now places his foot upon the treadle 91, drawing the treadle-rod 94 and link 95 downwardly and rocking the rocker-frame 73 toward the right, Fig. 1, drawing the wire 58 taut, and thus pulling the upper over the edge of the last around the fore part and a portion of the shank of said last. During the motion of the rocker-frame 73 toward the right, as hereinbefore described, the operator rotates the Wire-holder by bringing the lever 80 toward the left and the clutch 77 into contact with the friction-disk 76, thus rotating the shaft 74 and the wire-holder and twisting the free ends 60 of the wire 58 around each other, thus securely locking the ends of the wire and holding the upper firmly upon the last. It will be seen that in applying the clutch, as hereinbefore decribed, by means of the lever in order to twist the free ends of the Wire around each other the operator may use his judgment to give more or less twist to the Wire and that said twisting operation may be performed intermittently during the drawing up of the wire, or the twisting operation may be entirely performed after the wire has been drawn up. It will be seen that as the wire is being pulled taut the wire-holder 65 is free to tip upon the universal joint 70, and thus the direction of pull of the wire-holder may vary to conform to natural conditions without forcing the upper away from the last. Having drawn the upper as taut as may be desired by the hereinbefore-described movement of the pincers and of the wire-holder, the operator disconnects the free ends 60 of the wire 58 from the wire-holder 65 and removes his foot from the treadle, whereupon the wire-holder and the rocker-frame 73 are returned to the position shown in Fig. 1. The operator then proceeds to draw up and twist a second wire 62, attached to the upper,around the heel portion thereof, as hereinbefore set forth. In order to draw the wire 62 taut and twist the ends of the same with the wireholder, as hereinbefore set forth in the case of the wire 58, the operator after disconnecting the wires from the wire-holder rotates the last and upper, together with the last-holder, upon the carrier-frame 33, reversing the position of the last and bringing the heel portion of the last in the position formerly occupied by the toe portion. The heel portion of the upper may then be drawn up by the pull-over pincers, if desired; but usually the tightening of the wire and twisting of the same is sufficient to thoroughly last the heel, and this drawing of the wire and twisting the free ends thereof is performed in exactly the same manner for the wire 62 as for the wire 58, hereinbefore described. The shoe being lasted, the operator rotates the carrier-frame 33 toward the right, Fig. 3, said operator standing centrally of the machine in said figure and in front of the same. At the rear of the machine a secondoperator or helper is stationed, who places the uppers upon the lasts and the lasts upon the supporting heel-post and toe-rest and removes the lasts from the machine, together with the uppers thereon, after they have been lasted, as hereinbefore described. When the carrier-frame is rotated ninety degrees, it brings the last and its support to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, when the shoe and last are removed from the last-support by the helper. After removing the last and upper from the support the helper places a new last and upper upon the support while the operator is lasting another shoe which has been brought to position in the front and center 1 of the machine by the rotation of the carrierframe from the position shown in Fig. 3 at the left of said figure, and thus the carrier-. frame is alternately rocked from right to left, bringing the unlasted shoe to the operator and the lasted shoe to the helper. In this manner one machine employs two men, the helper not being so skilled as the operator, and consequently reducing the expense of lasting a shoe as compared with a machine in which the operator does all the Work, thus practically doubling the output of one machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire by Letters Patent to secure, is- 1 1. In a machine for lasting boots and shoes, with uppers having a wire attached thereto, a Wire-holder, and power-driven mechanism to rotate said wire-holder about an axis extending longitudinally of said last.

2. In a machine for lasting boots and shoes with uppers having a wire attached thereto, a Wire-holder, a support for a last, powerdriven mechanism to rotate said Wire-holder about an axis extending longitudinally of said last, and means whereby said Wire-holder may be moved lengthwise of said last.

3. In a machine for lasting boots and shoes with uppers having a Wire attached thereto, a rotary support for a last, a Wire-holder,

means to rotate said wire-holder about an axis extending lengthwise of said last, and a rotatory carrier-frame upon which said lastsupport is rotatably mounted.

4. In a machine forlasting boots and shoes with uppers having a wire attached thereto, a Wire-holder, power-driven mechanism to rotate said Wire-holder about an axis extending longitudinally, of said last, and means whereby said Wire-holder may be rocked upon an axis extending transversely of said last.

5. In a machine for lasting boots and shoes with uppers having a wire attached thereto, a rocker-frame, a shaft, a rotatory wire-holder journaled on said frame, a clutch to connect said shaft to said wire-holder, and means to rotate said shaft.

6. In a machine for lasting boots and shoes, with uppers having a Wire attached thereto, a rotatory last-support, a toe-post supported thereon a curved guide-arm fast to said toepost, a toe-clamp fast to said guide-arm, and a pair of pull-over pincers arranged to slide upon said guide-arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD IV. PEER.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES S. GOODING, AUGUST FINOK, Jr. 

